Secrets
by luvin-benadam
Summary: Martin left Sam and moved away to Nevada six years ago and now he's back with a secret in tow. But what happens when the secret he's been keeping from Sam, is the same one she's been keeping from him. Six years in the future MS eventually
1. Chapter 1

AN: Not mine, don't own 'em. Just like to mess around with 'em.

I'm pretty sure that nobody has ever done a story even remotely similar to this plot line to stick with it and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised!

"Madelyn! Up! Now!" he yelled down the hall. The sleepy five-year old poked her head around the corner and stared into the eyes of the man making her lunch.

"Daddy can't I just stay home with you today?" she asked, rubbing her hands over her navy blue eyes, fingers tangling in her light brown hair.

Martin wiped his crumb-covered hands on a dishtowel and picked the little girl up in his arms. He placed a quick kiss on her fair-skinned forehead and smiled at her, receiving one of her adorable, thin-lipped smiles in return. "Nope," he said finally, placing her back down on the ground and receiving a pouty-faced response. "Now go get dressed jellybean," Martin commanded and lovingly kicked her in the butt on her way down the hall.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his growing hair, thinking of the past five years he'd shared with the little girl and that adopting her was easily one of the best decisions of his life. He went to sleep every night thinking of all the amazing things she'd taught him that day and woke up every morning looking forward to seeing her brilliant face. As he tucked the sandwich, a banana, and a cookie into her lunch bag, Madelyn came bounding down the hall dressed in a pair of jeans and a thick-strapped tank top.

"Alright Maddy-Bean," Martin said, handing her, her Dora the Explorer backpack. "Into the car."

He buckled Maddy into the backseat of his Sedan outside their suburban Nevada home and drove her to her kindergarten class, kissed her goodbye, and headed to the Las Vegas FBI field office. Even though it was only a desk job, Martin was happy to at least still be a part of the FBI. After adopting Maddy when she was only a few days old, Martin realised that his priorities now laid with the tiny baby awaiting him at home each and every day and long, erratic hours just weren't going to work anymore. So he took the first year of his new daughter's life off, tried to go back, realised he missed her way too much, and took another year off. Finally, just after Maddy's second birthday, Martin took a desk position at the bureau and worked an average of less than thirty hours a week.

He arrived into the building and settled down in his desk, approached almost immediately by his boss.

"Agent Fitzgerald," Agent Sullivan commanded, his brisk, smoker's voice cutting through the air.

"Yes Sir," Martin responded.

His boss dropped the formalities and sat in the chair next to him. "Martin I'm sending you to New York."

Martin gave him a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"Just temporarily," Sullivan replied. "The string of forty-year old men kidnapped, held hostage for seventy-two hours and then murdered; it seems that our murderer has left to New York. I talked to a …" he paused and checked the manila file in his hands, "Jack Malone."

Martin's hearty fluttered.

"He wanted me to send an agent familiar with the case. You worked this one Martin. I need you to go."

Martin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, thinking of the circumstances under which he left. "Sir what about my daughter? I can't leave Madelyn. We have no family here," Martin protested.

"I can arrange for someone to stay with Maddy in New York while you work. Airfare, amenities, everything will be completely covered by the bureau," Sullivan said with a smile.

Martin laughed. "When does our flight leave?"

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"Daddy?" Maddy asked a couple hours later from the doorframe of his room.

"Ya babe?" Martin asked while nervously shoving things into his suitcase.

"Where's You Nork?"

Martin stopped his frantic packing and turned his full attention to his little girl.

"New York baby," he said, putting an emphasis on the correct pronunciation, "is all the way on the other side of the country."

Maddy skipped over to his bedside and dragged her tiny body on top of the mattress. "Daddy?"

Martin smiled. "Yes baby?"

"Isn't that where you use to live?" she asked, curiosity etched into her huge eyes.

"It is. Uncle Jack and Uncle Danny and Auntie Viv and Auntie Elena live there too. Do you remember me telling you about them?" Martin asked his daughter, stopping his packing all together as he sat down beside Maddy and pulled her into his lap.

"And Auntie Sam," Madelyn pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ya Maddy-bean. Auntie Sam too." In truth, Martin had only told Maddy about his old co-workers a few times. But she had such a vivid imagination and fantastic memory that she had remembered all their names and added Auntie and Uncle as a prefix. He had also purposely left Sam out because of the painful memories and dreadful guilt he felt at just saying her name.

"Daddy?"

Martin let out a little laugh. This was like a game to her. "Yes?"

"Can I meet them when we go to You Nork?"

Martin's smile dropped and let the mispronunciation slide. "Maybe baby."

"If I'm really, really good?" she pushed.

Martin laughed and hoisted her into her arms. "Did you pack Mr. Whiskers?"

The five-year old nodded her head vigorously and didn't notice the quick change in subject.

"Ok then, let's go to the airport."

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Martin gently lifted his sleeping daughter from the plane's seat into his arms when they finally landed six hours later and carried her into baggage claims. Sullivan had talked to Jack on the phone earlier and had explained Martin's situation, and at Martin's request, asked Jack to keep it under the radar. Martin grabbed their bags and walked out into the bustling New York night, feeling at last like he was finally home, and couldn't help but get the feeling that he was going to receive a less than warm welcome when he returned to work the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

MMkay just so you know when I talk about the Duval case, it's the same case that Martin was working in Nevada where the men are kidnapped and then killed after 72 hours. Oh and _italics _are thoughts.

Enjoy!

As the emerald sun rose above the endless skyscrapers of New York City, the New Yorkers below hustled through the busy streets, hailing cabs and going about their daily business. As Martin stirred in his hotel bed, he realised just how much he had missed the city and all it's noises. You couldn't hear the traffic noises of the city from rural Nevada, nor get take out at two o'clock in the morning. Gently, he rose out of bed and stepped to the curtained windows, drawing back the curtains and watching with sleepy eyes as the sleepless city awoke for the day. He quietly slid the balcony door open and stepped out into the crisp morning air, breathing in the scent of the city. God, he missed this.

The gentle tap of fingers on the glass door behind him brought his attention to Maddy who was standing on the other side of the glass, watching her father with barely awake eyes. Martin smiled and slid the door open, scooping Maddy into his arms and shutting the door behind her.

"Morning Maddy-bean," he said as he kissed her temple.

His daughter coughed and rested her sleepy head against his shoulder. Cleary, she wasn't quite awake. He huddled her gently shaking body closer to his chest for warmth and let his gaze fall back upon the buildings reaching towards the sky and the rising sun reflecting it's rays off them.

"Daddy are we in You Nork?" Maddy asked, her voice muffled from being pressed into his shoulder.

"Ya baby we're in New York. Isn't it pretty?" Martin asked, cuddling her a little closer.

Instead of responding she nodded her head vigorously against his shoulder. "Daddy I'm cold."

Martin looked to the exposed flesh of her lower leg and noted the goose bumps. "Me too," he said. "Let's go back inside and get something to eat."

He carried her back inside the hotel room and placed her down on the floor, picking up the room service menu and reading off the options to her.

An hour later when they had both finished their breakfast, Martin helped Maddy get dressed and slide her coat onto her thin arms.

"Where now?" she asked him curiously.

"Well Daddy has to go work so you are going to go hang out with kids your age in the hotel daycare," Martin replied.

Maddy pouted. "But I don't wanna go to daycare!" she protested. "I wanna come to work with you and meet all your friends!"

Martin gave her a guilty smile and thought to himself that they might not even be his friends anymore, not after the way he left. "Mad I'm sorry but I can't take you with me today. Maybe sometime later in the week, okay?"

Madelyn pouted and narrowed her eyes in what Martin noticed immediately was her 'angry face'.

"I'm sorry baby. I really am," Martin said, slipping on his own coat, taking his daughter's small hand in his and leading her down to the lobby.

With a sad smile he dropped her off in the daycare with assurance from the concierge that his daughter would be fine and headed with dread back towards the building he had left almost six years ago.

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Jack swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he paced back and forth across the bullpen, black trench coat billowing behind him. Sam, Danny, Elena and Vivien all sat around the table, wondering what was bothering their boos so much.

"Jack," Danny prompted.

But either Jack didn't hear him or was ignoring him so he kept pacing.

"Jack!" Danny said again with a little more force.

"What?" Jack asked as he span around and stared at his expectant team.

"Care to tell us what's on your mind?" Vivien asked with concern.

Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his greying hair. "We're getting a new agent to help with the Duval case," he said simply.

He started expectantly at his team, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"Ok. What's the big deal?" asked Sam with nonchalance.

The rest of the team nodded their agreement.

Jack scrambled to think of a lie. "Nothing, I just thought that you guys might be upset when I told you."

"Well we're not," Elena said.

'_Well you will be once you see who this new agent is,' _Jack thought to himself.

"Ok good, I'll escort him over here once he gets here," he said with what he hoped was nonchalance.

The team just nodded and smiled.

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Martin stepped into the all-too-familiar elevator and hesitantly pressed the floor's button, stomach churning as the elevator steadily climbed. Not only did he feel guilty about leaving Maddy in daycare all day, but the thought of how his ex co-workers were going to react when they saw him was driving him mad. As promised, Jack was standing at the elevator doors waiting for him and he breathed a sigh of relief to see that Jack had a slight smile on his face.

"Martin," he said curtly.

"Jack," Martin responded and shook Jack's outstretched hand.

"Good to have you back," Jack said and led Martin to his office.

Martin smiled sadly and took a seat in the chair opposite Jack. "Thanks but I'm sure not everyone thinks that."

Jack let his face bore no emotions.

"Do they known I'm back yet?" Martin asked sceptically.

Jack shook his head no. "I thought I'd leave that one up to you."

Martin nodded his head and let out a breath of air. "Can we just get this over with?"

Jack stared at him for a minute before saying, "Sure, but it's your funeral," then smiling.

Jack led the way down the hall with Martin half-hidden behind him. He took him to the table where he had been pacing in front of earlier and cleared his throat to get the attention of the occupants of the table.

"Guys, here's the new agent you'll be working this case with," Jack said when all eyes had flicked up towards him. He took a step to the side and revealed Martin, standing there with a guilty half-smile on his face.

"Hey guys," he said shyly.

_'If only I had a camera,"_ Jack thought.


	3. Chapter 3

He slowly let his eyes scan the pensive group, waiting for a reaction from one of them. _Any _of them. Danny was standing with his arms crossed defensively over his chest, eyes slightly narrowed at his once best friend. Elena was sitting in a chair at the table, eyes darting back and forth between Martin and Samantha, words prickling on her tongue. Vivian sighed and stood up from the table with a slight smile and slowly approached Martin. 

"It's good to have you back Martin," she said as she hugged him tightly.

As Vivian released him from her grasp, Martin finally let his gaze fall upon Sam who was staring into his face with a look of pure shock and fear etched into her eyes.

"Alright guys," Jack said abruptly, interrupting Sam and Martin's blatant staring. "Let's get Martin updated on the case. I'll be in my office." And with that he walked off leaving the team to pick up the pieces Martin had shattered nearly six years ago.

Elena and Vivian walked towards Danny and quickly engaged him in conversation, leaving Martin and Sam alone.

"Sam," Martin said, his voice anguished.

Sam stood suddenly from her chair and Martin noticed that she hadn't changed a bit.

"Don't," she said harshly. "Don't even try."

Martin stood there, stomach churning, as he watched her walk away. But the gentle grip of a hand on his shoulder snapped him back to the reason he was even back in New York when Vivian held a manila folder out to him.

"Give her time Martin," she said sadly. "It took her a long time to get back on her feet after you left."

Martin guiltily took the folder from her warm hands and scanned over the contents, knowing that this was going to be a long day.

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Jack came back fifteen minutes later and told his team to sit at the table. "Martin, if you would please debrief us on everything that went down in Nevada?" Jack asked, referring to the case.

Martin stood and cleared this throat. "It started about five months ago. A forty-year old man, James Hirsch, went missing. When we found his body four days later, time of death stated that he had only been killed about twenty-four hours before and the coroners report said that he had been repeatedly tortured for seventy-two hours before he was killed with a blow to the back of the head, most likely the butt of a gun." Martin tossed Hirsch's folder onto the table for the team to look at.

"Then there was Emil Dispel, also forty. When the coroner examined him, he found the exact same results, held and tortured for seventy-two hours, then killed with a blow to the back of the head. After that there was Carlos Montoya, then Holden Black," Martin concluded.

"Did you find any relations between the cases?" Elena asked.

Martin sneaked a quick glance at Sam before answering but she sat quiet and stony. "At first the only relation that we could find is that they were all reported missing by their bosses when they didn't show up for work. Only children, parents either dead or out of state. But then we found that all four men had the same personal trainer, a man by the name of Damian Duval. We started tracking him without his knowledge, and that's when he came to New York."

The team nodded.

"Sam." Jack's voice brought her out of reverie. "Please give Martin the low-down on our cases here."

Sam sighed and subconsciously fixed her hair. "Two men have gone missing so far. The first, Emanuel Kitson, forty-years old, partner of a PR firm; the second was Robert Law, again, forty, and an investment banker. They were both held and tortured for seventy-two hours before the were killed by a blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The only connection we could find was that …"

"Excuse me," a female voice interrupted and Martin recognised her as the receptionist. "But I have a phone call for Martin Fitzgerald from Mount Sinai Hospital."

Martin's heart jumped into his throat. "That's me," he said cautiously.

The woman checked the phone message in her hand. "They wanted me to tell you that your daughter has been admitted to the emergency room."

Martin's eyes grew wide and terrified. "Jack, I have to go," he said hurriedly, not even bothering to gauge the reactions of the team.

"I'll drive you," Vivian offered and Martin nodded his head in thanks.

The two of them left the building quicker than a flash as Vivian drove hurriedly to the hospital.

"How old is she?" Viv asked in the car.

Martin took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. "She turned five just a couple months ago," he said with the slightest bit of pride.

Vivian took notice of it and smiled. "Is that why you left Martin? You had to go take care of your daughter in Nevada?"

"What?" Martin asked. "No. It was nothing like that. Madelyn, Maddy, isn't even biologically mine. I adopted her when she was just a baby. Her adoptive parents were kidnapped and it was our case. The baby was left behind. I fell in love with her and I couldn't just let her fall into the system. So I adopted her," Martin recounted with a smile on his face.

Vivian grinned from ear to ear. "I always knew you were a big softie. And I'm sure Maddy will be fine," she reassured and gripped his icy hand in hers.

They pulled up outside the emergency room and ran quickly to the admittance desk.

"I'm looking for Madelyn Fitzgerald, I got a call at work saying that she was brought here," Martin said, his voice cracking.

The receptionist smiled. "Don't worry Mr. Fitzgerald. Your daughter only broke her arm. She was running on the pool deck at daycare and she slipped and fell. The doctor's just finishing with the cast now; room 119 to your left."

Martin heaved a huge sigh of relief and walked with Viv's hand on his back to Maddy's room, knocked and quietly slid the door open. Maddy was sitting on the exam table, casted arm held in the doctors grasp.

"Daddy!" Maddy cried cheerfully. "Look Daddy! They gave me a pink cast!"

Martin stifled back his tears and awkwardly hugged his daughter since one of her arms was still in the doctor's hand. Martin sat down beside her and kissed the top of her head. "What did Daddy tell you about being careful around pools?" he scolded.

Maddy pouted. "I'm sorry Daddy," she said, big blue eyes welling with tears.

"It's ok Maddy-bean. As long as you're ok," Martin said.

The doctor finished putting Maddy's cast on and informed Martin that it was a clean break and that it could come off in about two months. Martin shook his hand and thanked him and Martin kissed his daughter's head again.

"Maddy," Martin said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You remember how you wanted to meet all Daddy's friends?"

"Uh huh," Maddy replied.

"Well this is Vivian. Vivian, this is my daughter Maddy," Martin introduced.

"Very nice to meet you Maddy," Viv said and shook Maddy's outstretched hand.

"You're pretty," Maddy said as the dropped hands.

Vivian laughed at her vivaciousness and said, "Thank you sweetie. You're very pretty too."

"Daddy?"

"Ya babe?" Martin asked.

"Can I go meet the rest of your friends now?"

Martin and Vivian exchanged a glance and Vivian shrugged. "Up to you," she said.

Martin sighed. "Alright Maddy-bean. But only for a couple of minutes while Daddy picks up his stuff ok?"

Maddy nodded, happy to at least get her way. "Ok Daddy."

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Martin held Maddy in his arms with Vivian at their sides as they rode the elevator up to the floor.

"Tell everyone I'll be right there," Martin asked Viv. "I'm just going to go see Jack first."

Vivian nodded and headed back to the table where everyone but Jack was. They all stared expectantly at Viv, waiting for her to give them the scoop on what had happened.

"What?" Vivian asked with feigned innocence.

"Dish Viv!" Elena pleaded. "Does Martin actually have a daughter?"

Vivian looked to Sam and everyone followed her gaze.

"I'm fine," Sam assured.

"Yes, Martin has a daughter," Vivian said with a sigh. "And if you want to know anything else then you can ask him yourself, he'll be here in a minute."

Just as she finished her sentence, Martin, who still had Maddy in his arms, entered the bull pen and approached them with a hesitant smile.

"Hi!" Maddy said brightly and the resentment they all held for Martin vanished a little.

"Hi sweetheart," Elena said as she approached them. "I'm Elena."

"This is Auntie Elena Daddy?" Maddy asked as she turned back to her father.

"Ya babe this is Auntie Elena," Martin replied.

Elena smiled at Martin.

"I'm Madelyn, but everyone calls me Maddy, except when I'm in trouble, then Daddy calls me Madelyn," she said brightly.

Everyone laughed.

Danny's resolve softened a bit and he slowly approached them. "I'm Danny," he said, holding out his hand to Maddy. She took his hand in hers and shook it with a smile on her face.

"Hi Uncle Danny," she said with her button nose slightly wrinkled.

"Mind if I take her?" Danny asked Martin.

Martin was slightly taken aback but nodded his head in agreement. "No, go right ahead."

Danny held his arms out and took Maddy's small frame into them, holding her to his chest and smiling. He walked slowly over to Sam and Maddy held her hand out.

"I'm Maddy, and you must be Auntie Sam," Madelyn said.

Sam shook her hand with a hesitant smile and felt her heart nearly stop. It had been just over five years since she had seen the little girl, but she knew it was her beyond a fraction of a doubt. It was the same little girl with the navy blue eyes and fine, light brown hair. She just knew it. Why? Because mother's always know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok so I'm sure most of you are pretty confused right now, but don't worry, this chapter will explain mostly everything. So bare with me and most of all, enjoy! Oh ya, and italics are flashbacks!**

Sam smiled quickly at the little girl and shook her outstretched hand, heart hammering in her chest. She could see herself reflected in the little girls glassy eyes, memories flashing through her head. She couldn't do this, she couldn't stay and face her daughter knowing what she had done to her, how she had just left her. She wasn't strong enough.

"I would love to stay sweetie but I've got to get back to work," Sam said and waved goodbye, walking quickly in the direction of the elevators.

Martin and Danny exchanged a glance and Martin made a move to go after her.

"Martin, don't," Danny told him. "Just give her some time. This is all new to her."

Martin nodded sadly and reached out to take his daughter back from Danny. "Come here baby," he said, scooping the little girl into his arms. He hugged her slender body to his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Everything was such a mess right now and everyone was guarding Sam like she was Area 51. All he wanted was to explain why he left, why, six months into a good relationship with her, he up and left in the middle of the night after making love to her without so much as a goodbye. But he fully understood where everyone was coming from. He had no right to just walk back into her life and expect her to welcome him back with an open and understanding heart.

"Daddy?" Madelyn interrupted him from his thoughts.

He withdrew his head from her neck and looked into her concerned face. "Ya Maddy?"

"Why are you sad?" she asked, placing her slim hand on his cheek.

"I'm not sweetie. What do you we go back to the hotel, order some room service and watch a movie?" he offered his daughter, a quick change in subject that she didn't notice.

Her eyes lit up. "Ya!" she cried excitedly.

"I'll see you tomorrow Danny," Martin said as he turned on his heel and left with Maddy in his arms.

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Danny slowly walked the halls of the office, searching for Sam. He knew she would never just leave in the middle of a work day, so he figured she was just hiding in some remote spot somewhere on the floor. He finally found her in the lunch room sipping on a cup of bad coffee and staring intently at the floor and he sat down without a word.

"It's her Danny," Sam said after a brief silence. "It's her. It's been five years but I know it. That's her."

Danny took her cup from her and sipped the steaming drink. "Sam are you sure?"

"Danny I know it sounds stupid, but that's my daughter," Sam insisted.

"But what are the chances? I mean …" He let the rest of his sentence hang in the air.

"A mother always knows her child. And I know that you don't believe me …"

But Danny interrupted her before she could finish. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just so out there. But if you say that's your daughter, then I believe you."

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Sam sat alone in her apartment later that night with a box of Chinese food in one hand and chopsticks in the other. She hated the fact that she spent nights alone, and resented Martin for being the one that caused them. She thought that they had been happy, that things were going well. But then she awoke one morning to find the bed empty beside her, and when he didn't show up at work, Sam knew that he was gone for good. She had tried to move on, but the attempt was futile, especially after that fateful day that would forever tie her to Martin.

_She finished throwing up for what felt like the millionth time that day and sat back against the bathroom wall, fingers wrapped tightly around the box in her hands. _

"Just do it Sam," she told herself. But the truth of the matter was that she didn't want to know the answer, didn't want to believe that she was actually going through this. She preferred to be in denial and pretend that everything was fine. But after throwing up again, she realised that she could no longer be ignorant because it was no longer bliss, it was just downright terrifying. So she followed the instructions on the box and waited, and waited, and waited for what seemed like an eternity. She waited past the time the box said to wait and instead sat on her bathroom floor with the test face down in her hands.

Just past an hour after she had taken the test, heart hammering in her chest, she flipped it over and read the results. In blue slanted letters, the word pregnant _reached her eyes and she felt her whole world crashing down around her. _

She called Vivian and Elena over and explained the situation, that she was pregnant with Martin's baby and Martin was gone. They held her while she cried and reassured her that everything was going to be ok. At her doctors appointment the next day, her doctor told her that she was already two and a half months along, but by the time Sam reached her seventh month and she wasn't attached to the baby at all, she knew something was wrong.

One night while sitting alone on her couch, she realised that she couldn't do it, that her baby deserved better than a single mother with a haunting past that would have to be working all the time just to support them. So she made the agonizing decision of giving her baby up for adoption. And that's just what she did. On April 12th, Samantha Spade gave birth to her and Martin's baby girl, seven pounds, 4 ounces, seventeen inches long, and then watched as the nurse took her daughter away for good.

Sam spent the next week crying in bed and regretting her decision, phone in her hands ready to call the adoption agency and tell them she changed her mind. But when she received a letter from the parents that adopted her daughter two days after she gave birth to her, Sam realised that she had made the right decision. The letter thanked her over and over for giving her baby to them, a once infertile couple. But because of her, she had given them the one thing they had always wanted, a family.

But little did Sam know that the adoptive parents would be kidnapped and her daughter left behind and that eventually, her little girl was to be adopted by her birth father who knew nothing about his biological daughter, thinking that he was just helping the stranger baby that he fell in love with. Yes, the universe worked in mysterious ways.

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**READ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT**

**Ok guys, I'm gonna explain this to you now in case you don't get it.**

**Martin left out of the blue one day for no reason**

**Sam then finds out she's pregnant (Martin has no idea)**

**After she has the baby, Sam gives her up for adoption and a couple in Nevada get her**

**Martin, working in Nevada, gets a case where a couple go missing and their baby is left behind .. The couple is the couple that adopted Sam's baby and the baby is Sam and Martins**

**When the couple is found dead, Martin doesn't want the baby to go into the system, plus he's already fallen in love with her so he adopts the baby thinking that it's just any baby**

**Martin and Maddy (Sam and Martin's daughter) go to New York and Sam realises that Martin has been raising her daughter**

**However Martin has no idea that Maddy is biologically his**

**So basically it was just a major twist in fate and eventually Sam will explain this all to Martin**

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

The crisp New York wind picked up, tossing the scattered leaves across the worn and tattered streets. Golden leaves caught the glowing light from the sun as they fell in hypnotizing spirals towards the golden-bathed pavement below. Raindrops from the midnight drizzle clung to untouched objects, glistening in the dying sun.

She stood with bated breath outside the large building, debating internally with herself. She knew she wanted to go in and see them, to spend time with her daughter, but she also knew that it would mean spending time with Martin, and at the moment, that was the last thing that she wanted to do. Guilt shredded her insides and she wished things could have worked out differently. Samantha knew that if Martin was around when she found out she was pregnant, she would have kept the baby in a heartbeat and this whole mess would have been avoided.

However, that was not the way things worked out and Samantha knew that she had to make the best of this awful situation. Everyone on the team already knew that Sam had a daughter somewhere out there and could not have been more supportive through her pregnancy and after she gave the baby up for adoption and Danny, with Sam's permission, had informed the rest of the team of the latest development.

When the harsh wind picked up again, Sam made a quick decision and walked into the warm hotel, taking deep calming breaths. With renewed determination, she confidently walked to the front desk and flashed her badge to the concierge.

"I'm Agent Spade," she said with a slight smile. "Could you please tell me which room Martin Fitzgerald is staying in."

The desk clerk gave her the once over and typed the information into his computer. "Room 609. Take the elevator up to the sixth floor and go left. The door will be on your right."

"Thank you," Sam said politely and headed in the direction of the elevators. Feeling slightly numb, she pressed the sixth floor button and waited as the elevator carried her to what felt like her fate.

She found the door fairly easily and took a moment to stand outside of it, wondering what the hell she was doing there. She waited another minute for the panic to subside, but when it didn't, she turned around and started walking away.

But the door she had just left suddenly swung open and Martin stepped out, ice bucket in hand. He could tell it was her even from behind.

"Sam?" he asked with confusion.

She stopped dead in her tracks and wheeled around. "Martin, hi."

Martin took two steps towards her and she didn't move back. "What are you doing here?"

She stared at him awkwardly. "I just asked myself the same thing."

A moment of silence passed as they both stared at the floor. But a voice interrupted them.

"Daddy did you get the ice cubes?" Maddy asked from the doorframe and Martin turned to face his daughter. "Oh," she said as her eyes fell upon Sam. "Hi Auntie Sam."

Sam waved. "Hi sweetie."

"Mad I'll be there in a minute, go back inside," Martin commanded.

"Ok. But can Sam stay Daddy?" she asked with cutest puppy eyes.

"I don't know baby. Sam," he turned back to her, "Can you stay?"

Sam's eyes darted back and forth between Martin and their daughter, wondering if this was really the best idea. "Sure I can stay," she said finally.

Maddy's face lit up. "Yay!" she cried excitedly and darted back inside the room.

Martin turned to Sam and smiled. "I'm glad you're staying too," he said. "I just have to go get ice cubes, but go get yourself acquainted with Maddy."

Sam nodded and shoved her hands into her pocket as she walked back into the room and spied Maddy sitting on the bed with a stuffed animal in her hands.

"Can you do my hair?" Maddy asked with a smile, attempting to scratch an itch under her cast.

Sam looked at her, suddenly afraid, but nodded her head in agreement and sat on the bed behind her daughter. This was all so new to her, so foreign, but to Maddy, it was all so innocent.

"Daddy does my hair sometimes," Maddy said. "But he's not very good at it. He always gets the ponytail tangled with my hair and then he can't get it out and he has to cut it out," she said dramatically.

Sam laughed. "Boys aren't very good with hair are they?"

"No they're not," she agreed.

Martin walked back into the room and smiled when he saw Sam and Maddy bonding over hair and their dislike of boys. The settled into the beds, Martin in one and Sam and Maddy in the other, and watched Maddy's movie of choice, The Little Mermaid. An hour and a half later when the movie ended, Martin turned to look at them and noticed that Maddy was sound asleep in Sam's lap and Sam was gently twisting a lock of Maddy's fine hair around her finger.

"I assume that Viv told everyone about how I got Maddy," Martin half-whispered.

Sam nodded her head and suddenly felt the urge to leave. "Just because I'm here doesn't mean that I forgive you Martin," she said coldly.

Martin looked down at the bed sheet.

"Why Martin? Why?" I thought we were happy, I thought that everything was going great. And all the sudden I wake up one morning and you're gone! Why?!"

Maddy stirred in her arms and she quieted her voice.

"I deserve an explanation," Sam said.

Martin took a deep breath and situated himself on the edge of his bed, facing Sam and Maddy. "There was no reason why I left, no good reason at least. I don't really know myself, and I can't explain it. I woke up one morning and all the sudden I couldn't be here anymore, I couldn't be in New York. I felt like I was ruining your life, your chances of happiness, and you of all people deserve to be happy Sam."

"_You_ were my happiness Martin!" Sam exclaimed. "Why would you ever think anything different?!" She used her free hand to wipe a solitary tear from her cheek.

"Sam," Martin said, getting up off the bed and slowly walking towards her, Maddy still asleep in her lap. Martin gently picked the little girl up from her lap and Sam collapsed into a fit of sobs as Martin placed Maddy under the covers in the bed he was sitting in before, then sat himself down beside Sam, arm snaking around her shaking shoulders.

"I didn't get to know her," she sobbed into her hands, gesturing towards Maddy.

Martin looked at her with confusion. "Sam you only met her today, of course you haven't gotten to know her."

"She looks so much like you," she whispered.

He looked at her sympathetically. "You think? Because I have this old picture of us in our living room in Nevada and whenever anyone comes over, they always ask if you're Maddy's mom because everyone think she looks like you, which I explained isn't possible since I adopted Maddy."

Samantha sobbed again into her hands and Martin pulled her closer. The last person she wanted comfort from right now was Martin, but he was a shoulder to cry on and that's exactly what she needed at the moment. "You don't get it do you?" she asked.

"Get what?" Martin asked.

"You know what," Sam said, standing up, straightening her jeans and wiping the tears from her eyes, "Never mind. It's not important."

She turned to leave but Martin grabbed her arm. "No way Sam. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what the hell is going on with you."

"I was pregnant!" she half-yelled.

Martin immediately dropped her arm and took a step back. Sam rested her back against the wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest and her head in her lap.

"I found out about a month after you left."

Martin ran his hands through his hair and sat down on the wall beside her. "I have a kid?" he asked in awe.

Sam sniffled. "Ya and she's sleeping right there," she said, pointing to the spot where Maddy was sleeping.

"No I mean a biological kid," Martin clarified.

"Ya she's sleeping _right there_," Sam repeated, still pointing at Maddy.

"I'm so confused. You're telling me that Maddy's my biological daughter?" Martin asked in disbelief.

Sam nodded. "George and Isabel Rainer. Names ring a bell?"

Martin faltered. "They adopted Maddy before I did. When they went missing I adopted her. Wait, Maddy is _your _daughter?"

A single tear rolled down Sam's cheek. "After I found out I was pregnant with our child, I knew I would just screw the kid up. I knew that she deserved better than a workaholic single mother, so I gave her up for adoption. Then George and Isabel died and you ended up adopting her," Sam explained.

"So I've been raising my biological daughter for the past five years?" Martin asked, dumbfounded.

Sam nodded her head.

"I've been raising _our _biological daughter for the past five years?"

Sam nodded her head again and watched as Martin processed all the information that Danny had given to her.

"This is so unbelievable," he gasped.

"You can say that again."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOk so just in case you didn't get that, I'll explain it:**

**It wasn't in the story but after Sam confessed to Danny that she thought Maddy was her daughter, Danny looked into things and found the adoption papers, learned about how George and Isabel died and how Martin adopted Maddy.**


End file.
